#MissionMonday - Angela

Every Monday, we'll be posting a new story of how our mission has assisted people in the community. Be sure to check back each week for a new and inspirational story of someone who was helped by Goodwill Manasota. Changing lives through the power of work...it's what we do.

Angela had been contemplating a move from Miami to Bradenton for a long time in hopes of improving her eight-year-old son’s way of living and hopefully giving herself an upward move in her career path. Knowing she wouldn’t be able to make the move without a job, she made sure she had one secured before she left Miami. Once everything was set, Angela and her son made the move happily knowing she would have a job once she arrived.

In Bradenton, Angela learned that her waitressing job was only a seasonal position and after only a week, her hours were cut from 38 to 20 per week. Then they were cut again to only six. The following week she got to work to find that management had taken her off the schedule completely.

With degrees in early childhood education and culinary arts and experience in customer service, Angela knew that finding a new job would be easy, but she was still worried.

Angela first came into our Goodwill Job Connection office feeling anxious and depressed. She was making a little money as an Uber driver, but her rent was past due, her car was about to be repossessed and she had just received a shut off notice for her electricity. She was beginning to have nightmares about being homeless with her son and came into the Job Connection as a last resort.

After working with Kathy, her Career Development Facilitator at the Job Connection, Angela went to several interviews, but she was not offered any positions. Kathy decided to follow up with the employers who interviewed Angela to see what the problem was. They all said that while Angela had all the qualifications, she was sharing too much drama during the interviews. Kathy took this news to Angela along with some interview tips and together they held mock interviews.

Not long after, Kathy received a phone call from an employer who had just interviewed Angela. They wanted to make a job offer, but were unable to reach her. After finding Angela, Kathy found that her phone had been shut off since she had not been able to pay her bill.

Angela went back to the Job Connection one last time to return the call and accept the job.

Now, Angela feels she’s living a life of purpose and she is once again able to support her son as a single mom. She is so thankful that she found the support she needed at the Goodwill Job Connection when, even with the best laid plans, things seemed hopeless. It’s what we do…

"I love Goodwill because of all it does for those in our community that people do not realize, beyond all they do in saving items from the landfill, like assisting our Veterans, employing so many who may not be able to get jobs elsewhere, helping people get jobs with them, and other businesses in the community." -Tim Holliday

Locations

Our Company

Goodwill Manasota, Inc. is an industry-leading, 501(c)(3), not-for-profit organization that changes lives through the power of work. Goodwill Manasota, Inc. is legally organized under the laws of the United States and the State of Florida.